Group hightlights
children’s plight

Published:18:00Tuesday 21 April 2015

Share this article

Hastings Palestine Solidarity campaign organised a stall in Hastings town centre to highlight the plight of Palestinian children.

The campaign group handed out leaflets and talked to local people about how the military Occupation of the West Bank of Palestine impacts on all who live there. A spokesman for the group, Gill Knight said: “Every year around 700 Palestinian children (mainly boys) aged 12-17 are arrested for stone throwing; stones thrown in frustration at the seemingly never ending occupation of their land which they have endured for over 47 years.”

Gill said the group wants to raise awareness of the situation and the plight of the 182 children currently being held as ‘security’ prisoners with no hope of bail. She added: “The treatment meted out by the Israeli army contravenes International Law, principally the 4th Geneva Convention and the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child 1989.

“Our government was so concerned about the situation that the Foreign and Commonwealth office commissioned a report in 2011, Children in Military Custody, which made 40 recommendations for Israel to take to bring their procedures in line with good practice. UNICEF reported back in 2014 that 38 of these have not been acted on.

“Sadly we are still campaigning for the rights of children in Palestine. Only last week five minors aged 14 and 15 from Hussan town in Bethlehem were arrested and Israeli authorities have imposed fines totalling $30,000 on Palestinian minors held in Israeli jails since the beginning of 2015.”

For further details of the group visit the website at: www.hastingspalestinecampign.org